Tag: skinny recipes

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

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The perfect dinner in is sometimes more fun than a fancy restaurant. Finding a new recipe and cooking for a friend or that special someone can be very rewarding. Since going out to dinner can get expensive, I usually try to limit going out and try to order in or cook a nice meal on Fridays then go out on Saturday evenings. Since this Friday is Valentine’s Day, I want to cook something delicious for my hubby but also healthy since we will be leaving for Miami in a few weeks and need to be beach-ready.
I found the original recipe on pinterest and made a few weeks ago and my hubby LOVED it! The recipe is from Eat Yourself Skinny. The only thing I changes was I used mozzarella cheese instead of Jack and did not have any jalapenos. Enjoy!

stuffedpeppers

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 ribs celery, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp ground cumin
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
  • 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved
  • 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed, drained
  • 3/4 cup quinoa
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 cup Trader Joes Pepper Jack cheese
  • 4 large red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, ribs removed
  • Salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion, celery and jalapeno for about 5 minutes, until soft, then add cumin and garlic and cook for an additional minute. Stir in drained tomatoes (reserving liquid) and cook for 5 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.
  2. Stir in black beans, quinoa and 1 1/2 cups water. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender. Stir in 1 cup of cheese and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
  3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and pour reserved liquid from tomatoes in the bottom of your baking dish.
  4. Fill each halved bell pepper with 3/4 cup quinoa mixture and place in baking dish. Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes. Transfer stuffed bell peppers onto serving dish and drizzle pan juices over top. Enjoy!

Eggplant Panini

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The panini recipe is so easy and incredibly delicious & healthy!  I absolutely love eggplant because it has that “meaty” taste and with the fresh herbs and mozzarella it just melts in your mouth.  Serve with my delicious homemade baked sweet potato fries and you will be in health eating-heaven! 🙂

eggplantpanini

 

What you will need:

  • 1 eggplant sliced thin
  • olive oil
  • garlic, chopped
  • basil
  • French bread or bread of choice
  • arugula
  • fresh mozzarella sliced
  • 1 tomato sliced
  • ground pepper to taste
  • Panini maker or small grill

Directions:

1. In medium bowl, mix sliced eggplant, chopped garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil, chopped basil, ground paper to taste.

2. In a large pan, pan-grill the eggplant for about 7 minutes on each side, until crispy.  (you can also grill the eggplant if you choose.)

3. Once eggplant is cooked, take french bread and add a little olive oil to bread.

4.  Stack eggplant, tomatoes, basil, arugula, and sliced mozzarella onto sandwich.

5. Spray panini maker with non stick oil (i used coconut oil) and press.  Cook for 3-5 minutes.

6. Enjoy.  Serve with my homemade sweet potato fried recipe is here.

Ladies’ Slumber Pary

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One of my favorite memories as a kid was getting all my best friends together, playing truth or dare, putting kool-aid in each other’s hair, and eating junk food. It’s time to bring the slumber party back. Grab a bunch of girls, food, pink champagne, do eachother’s nails and gossip about boyfriends, husbands, friends, work, etc! Here is some inspiration & two *skinny* recipes for your slumber party since our metabolisms can’t handle the Doritos and cupcakes like when we were 16 ❤

collage-slumber party

Dunkaroo Dip Recipe:
1 (18.9 oz) box Funfetti cake mix
2 cups fat-free plain yogurt
1 cup lite Cool Whip
Fat-free animal crackers

In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, plain yogurt and Cool Whip until completely combined and you see no more lumps. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to chill for about 4 hours. Garnish with additional sprinkles if desired and serve with animal crackers, enjoy!

Pink Popcorn Recipe:
4 L popped popcorn
2 cups sugar
1/2 small box red Jell-O gelatin powder
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp. butter (or non-hydrogenated margarine if you want it dairy-free)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. baking soda

Put the popped popcorn in a large bowl, carefully picking out any unpopped kernels. (I do this by popping into one bowl and shaking the bowl back and forth a bit, then lightly scooping out the popcorn with my hands into another, leaving the unpopped kernels in the bottom.) Preheat the oven to 250°F. Line one or two rimmed baking sheets with foil.
(recipe from http://www.eat-yourself-skinny.com)

In a medium saucepan (with room for the mixture to at least double in size), bring the sugar, Jell-O, water and butter to a boil. Once fully boiling cook for 4 minutes without stirring, swirling the bowl occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and soda. Pour over the popcorn and toss with tongs to coat completely.

Spread out onto the baking sheets and bake, stirring once or twice, for an hour. Set aside to cool, then break into chunks. Makes about 16 cups.